TEC 2024 Annual Report Final - Flipbook - Page 11
CASE STUDY
AWARD-WINNING
UWE BRISTOL SETS A
HIGH SUSTAINABILITY
STANDARD
University of the West of England, Bristol
is on track to achieve its ambitious carbon
reduction plans with an overall target to be
carbon neutral with zero greenhouse gas
emissions by 2030.
The University also set out a two-year Climate and Sustainability
Plan in 2024, developed in line with the UN’s Sustainability
Development Goals (SDGs), with short term SMART targets that
work in tandem with the institution’s longer-term commitments.
A sustainability success story
UWE Bristol has taken a wide-ranging approach to decarbonise
its operations. These cover energy management, heat and
electricity decarbonisation, renewable energy deployment and
sustainable infrastructure investment.
The University’s sustainability achievements have been
recognised in a variety of awards. UWE Bristol won the
Sustainability Institute of the Year at the UK & Ireland Green
Gown Awards in 2023. The University was also named in
the top 50 in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact
Rankings of institutions pursuing sustainable development goals.
UWE Bristol has also shared best practice with the TEC
membership. This included presenting about the University’s
carbon reduction programme at TEC’s annual conference in
November 2023.
Energy and carbon savings
UWE Bristol has invested in extensive carbon reduction
measures to meet the institution’s net zero targets.
Highlights include:
• £85
million
in
new
Passivhaus
student
accommodation, the largest development of its kind
in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. The
buildings will yield a 54% reduction in running costs
and carbon emissions compared with a typical ‘good
practice’ building.
• Significant investment in solar generation. In the
2022/23 academic year these generated 456 MWh,
saving 94 tonnes of CO2 and reducing UWE Bristol
operating costs by £114,000.
• Development of the Frenchay campus district heat
network, with installation of a combined heat and
power plant (CHP) to displace gas.
• Development of UWE Bristol’s sustainable School
of Engineering building on the Frenchay campus
which achieved an “Excellent” rating for its green
credentials from the international scheme BREEAM.
• Purchasing 20% of all the University’s electricity
from a power purchase agreement. This supports
UK onshore wind with the electricity generated from
several Statkraft wind farms. The remainder of the
University’s electricity is purchased from the grid
under a zero-carbon contract.
THE ENERGY CONSORTIUM - ANNUAL REPORT 2024
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